Wednesday’s Woman: St. Hunna

The Basics: Born 7th century in France; died 679 in France; canonized in 1520 by Leo X; feast day, April 15. Wife, mother.

The Story: She may have never needed to touch a washtub in her entire life. After all, Hunna was born into nobility, and married into her own class. Indeed, her husband often traveled as a diplomat. But there was a faith-filled humility that ran through that blue blood in her veins.

Hunna devoted herself to the poor in Strasbourg, France. She would perform any service, take on any task that would make life a little easier for those in need. Sometimes, that meant providing food or religious instruction. Often, that included taking dirty clothes into her home, scrubbing it clean, and returning it to the owners. This became such a large part of her service that Hunna became known as “the holy washerwoman.”

Hunna also created a Spirit-filled environment in her home; a son became a monk.

What We Can Learn from Hunna: Hunna’s humility brought her closer to the Lord. Where is He calling you to put your ego aside to serve?

To Learn More About Hunna: While we don’t know a lot more about Hunna, you may be interested in reading a bit more about her and other women from her day in Women and Writing in Medieval Europe: A Sourcebook by Carolyne Larrington.

To Learn More About Other Women Saints and Blesseds: Come back next week, or consider buying my book, Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration.

By Melanie

Melanie Rigney is the author of Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century and other Catholic books. She is a contributor to Living Faith and other Catholic blogs. She lives in Arlington, Virginia. Melanie also owns Editor for You, a publishing consultancy that since 2003 has helped hundreds of writers, publishers, and agents.

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